Conventionally, many game devices such as pachinko (pinball) game devices use a liquid crystal display device as a component serving as an information display section thereof.
Recently, the game device is requested to display, in its information display section, (i) information displayed on a liquid crystal display panel of the liquid crystal display device and (ii) an accessory object and/or the like provided behind the liquid crystal display device, in such a manner as to arbitrary switch between display and non-display of the accessory object and/or the like. The following will give a description with reference to FIG. 11, which is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of a game device, and (a) and (b) of FIG. 12, each of which is a view illustrating a display indicated by an information display section of the game device.
As shown in FIG. 11, a game device 90 is provided with, on its front surface, a circular game board 92 with which it is possible to see how a game is going on. The game board 92 includes, in its substantially center region, an information display section 94, which is mainly made of a liquid crystal display panel of a liquid crystal display device.
The information display section 94 displays various kinds of information according to how the game is going on.
For example, in a typical game, the information display section 94 displays an image matching with the theme of the game device, as shown in (a) of FIG. 12. Further, depending on how the game is going on, the information display section 94 displays a three-digit number whose digits change as in a slot machine, as shown in (b) of FIG. 12.
(Patent Literature 1)
There have been proposed various configurations for enabling such displays.
FIG. 13 is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of a display device 100 for a game device, which is described in Patent Literature 1.
As shown in FIG. 13, for example, Patent Literature 1 describes the display device 100 for a game device, which display device 100 includes (i) a transparent liquid crystal display panel 110, (ii) a reel 120, and (iii) a shutter plate 130, which is provided between the transparent liquid crystal display panel 110 and the reel 120.
(Patent Literature 2)
Further, Patent Literature 2 describes a configuration including (i) an LCD shutter for image display, (ii) an accessory object, which is provided behind the LCD shutter for image display, and (iii) an LCD shutter for display switching, which is provided between the LCD shutter for image display and the accessory object.
(Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Panel)
Here, used as (i) the shutter plate described in Patent Literature 1 or (ii) the LCD shutter for display switching described in Patent Literature 2 can be a so-called polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel.
The following will give a description with reference to (a) and (b) of FIG. 14, each of which is a view showing a state of light in a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel. Here, (a) of FIG. 14 shows how light is transmitted while a voltage is applied to a liquid crystal layer, whereas (b) of FIG. 14 shows how light is transmitted while no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.
The polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel 200 includes a first substrate 210, a second substrate 220, and a liquid crystal layer 230 containing small liquid crystal droplets 240, which liquid crystal layer 230 is sandwiched between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220.
As shown in (a) of FIG. 14, while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer 230, liquid crystal molecules contained in the small liquid crystal droplets 240 in the liquid crystal layer 230 are oriented along the same direction. Consequently, light L is transmitted therethrough without being dispersed in the liquid crystal layer 230, whereby the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel 200 comes into a so-called transparent state.
On the other hand, as shown in (b) of FIG. 14, while no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer 230, the liquid crystal molecules contained in the small liquid crystal droplets 240 in the liquid crystal layer 230 are oriented in random directions. Consequently, light L is dispersed in the liquid crystal layer 230, whereby the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel 200 comes into a so-called opaque state.
As described above, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel 200 is switched between the transparent state and the opaque state. This makes it possible to switch between a visible state and an invisible state (non-shielded state and shielded state) for a reel, an accessory object, and/or the like provided behind the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel 200.
(Patent Literature 3)
Patent Literature 3 describes, as a display device capable of displaying a plurality of images on its display surface, a display device including (i) a plurality of projectors, each of which serves as an image source, and (ii) a multi-screen.